Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr’s Last Night on Earth
The Mountaintop by Pulitzer Prize winner Katori Hall is a two-character fantasy play set on the eve of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King’s assassination at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis. Heavy. You would think. However, what could be a bleak study of a national shame becomes thoughtful and witty thanks to some magical realism, a terrific cast, and Hall’s excellent ear for banter.
Rev. Dr. King (Ron Chapman) arrives at the Lorraine having just delivered his “I’ve Been to the Mountaintop” speech to local sanitation workers. (A powerful opening moment by co-directors Rebecca Novick and Aldo Billingslea has Chapman pausing at the threshold of the famous motel room, number 306 inscribed on the open door behind him, perfectly framed by the gateway to his last night on earth. Chills.) Dr. King is battling a cold. He wants coffee. By ordering room service he meets brassy goofball Camae, (Sam Jackson) a motel maid who joins him for an evening of flirty jokes, civil rights discourse and hidden agendas. Chapman has done his character work admirably, infusing the familiar gravitas and signature vocal patterns of MLK with the weariness of a long-threatened public servant who just might be ready to have the proverbial cup taken from his lips. Jackson securely lays claim to the audience from the moment she/they arrives; dominating each beat with specificity, heart and hilarity.
Novick and Billingslea are challenged by a wonky playing space here, seemingly compelled to under-stage their actors to compensate for the performance venue’s concert piano taking up about thirty percent of the stage. Tricky for blocking. Distracting for theater nerds such as yours truly. Admittedly, I take it all too seriously to unsee a giant piano.
Hall’s script features a wobbly reveal that veers an honest examination of King’s humanness – stress and guilt and stinky feet and all – into cornball territory. Eh. Okay. You just have to roll with it. The amusing dialogue is still so moving, and the cast so gifted, that this production genuinely satisfies.
As a performance venue, The 222 is captivating. And huge. You could park a Lear jet in there. This art gallery / performance venue / cultural rallying point in downtown Healdsburg offers an enthusiastic season of music, dance, film and song. I’m into it. The place oozes potential for live theater! It’s got the space. It’s got the acoustics. It certainly attracts the talent, thoroughly brought to the table by the cast and directors of The Mountaintop. With a few more instruments to up their lighting game, and someplace else to put that piano, The 222 could be my new favorite.
